Corvette C8

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Chevrolet
Chevrolet Corvette C8 Stingray blue.jpg
Corvette C8
Sales designation: Corvette
Production period: since 2020
Class : Sports car
Body versions : Coupé , convertible
Engines: Petrol engines :
6.2 liters
(369 kW)
Length: 4630 mm
Width: 1934 mm
Height: 1234 mm
Wheelbase : 2722 mm
Empty weight : 1530 kg
Previous model Corvette C7

The Chevrolet Corvette C8 is the eighth generation of a sports car from the American automobile company General Motors . It has been in series production since February 2020, the start originally planned for the 4th quarter of 2019 had to be postponed due to a strike. It is the first generation of the Corvette with a mid-engine positioned in front of the rear axle .

background

Corvette C8 Cabriolet
Corvette C8 cockpit

After the engine had been installed as a front mid-engine for six generations since the Corvette C2, i.e. in the front end of the vehicle behind the front axle, the manufacturer changed the engine mounting position of the model series with the new generation to an engine in front of the rear axle and behind the driver. GM had already been working on this concept for a sports car decades before that.

Model history

On July 18, 2019, GM presented the coupe variant in Tustin , Orange County , in the US state of California . The vehicle was presented to the public for the first time on a larger scale at the end of July 2019 at the Concours d'Elegance of America in Plymouth , Michigan . A prototype vehicle manufactured in 2018 has been on display at the National Corvette Museum since the end of August 2019 . An earlier premiere was originally assumed in 2019, but according to insiders it was delayed by technical issues.

The first pictures of the convertible were shown during the presentation of the coupé, but it was not formally presented to media representatives until October 2, 2019 and to the general public on the following day at the Kennedy Space Center on Merritt Island , Florida . The motorsport version Corvette C8.R, which is to participate in the GTE class , was also shown at the same event.

production

Like the previous model generations, the vehicle will be manufactured at GM's Bowling Green plant in the US state of Kentucky . 400 additional employees were hired and a second production shift was introduced.

From August 2019, it was assumed that production of the coupé would begin in early December 2019 and the first vehicle deliveries were expected from February 2020.

From September 2019, workers belonging to the United Auto Workers (UAW) union went on strike . The last remaining orders for the Corvette C7 have not yet been carried out. After this has been completed, the production facilities have to be converted to the Corvette C8 over a period of two weeks. GM continues to announce the start of series production of the coupe towards the end of 2019; the first quarter of 2020 was initially specified for the convertible. As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic , the start of production was finally delayed until August 2020.

design

According to Kirk Bennion, a design manager for the body, the design of the vehicle is based on aircraft.

Tristan Murphy designed the interior. Among other things, he designed a driver-oriented dashboard which is divided into three areas: controls for the driver, infotainment screen and, in a line alongside the front passenger, controls for the air conditioning.

Furnishing

The Corvette will be available in three equipment lines: 1LT, 2LT and 3LT. All models come with two-zone automatic air conditioning, a 12 ″ diagonal screen as an instrument cluster , an 8-inch touch-sensitive screen for operating the infotainment system and an electrically adjustable steering wheel. The equipment variants 2LT and 3LT have additional equipment details as a supplement. With the equipment code Z51, two performance packages will be available, which differ in terms of the suspension set-up and equipment.

12 colors are available for the body; In the interior there are more than four colors for the upholstery and six contrasting colors e.g. B. for the seat belts.

technology

As the first generation of the Corvette, it will also be built in the factory as a right-hand drive variant.

drive

The vehicle is powered by a V8 - petrol engine driven. In the Stingray model variant, the LT2 engine has a displacement of 6162 cm³, with a 103.25 mm stroke and 92 mm bore. The small block with liners made of cast iron and the cylinder heads are cast from aluminum alloyed with silicon and copper (A319-T7). The compression ratio is 11.5: 1 for the charge cycle , each cylinder has an inlet and an outlet filled with sodium in the cylinder head ; the total of 16 valves are operated by a camshaft located centrally between the cylinder banks via tappets , push rods and rocker arms. The timing of the engine can be shifted with a phase adjustment on the camshaft. The lubrication works with a dry sump and three oil pumps. The fuel is injected into the cylinders via direct fuel injection . At partial load, the supply of cylinders 2, 3, 5 and 8 (according to GM numbering) can be switched off. The engine heat is released into the environment via four radiators, two of which are behind the front bumper and two of which are at the air inlets behind the doors.

The only available transmission is an eight-speed dual clutch transmission with the transmission code M1L. It was developed by GM together with Tremec . It is shifted via a selector lever or gearshift paddles behind the steering wheel that are electronically connected to the transmission . The reason lies in the vehicle structure and the sharp decline in demand for manual transmissions, even with the C7.

body

The vehicle has a skeleton body . Its main material is aluminum , but some components are made of steel , magnesium or carbon fiber reinforced plastic . Most components are riveted and screwed together, only a small proportion is welded. Parts in the region of the front and rear wheel suspensions are of aluminum die cast . However, other sections, such as the central tunnel built in to increase stability, are extruded . At the beginning of 2019, insiders suspected problems with the body and cracking engine covers / rear windows due to the high engine power of the vehicle, which are said to have delayed the vehicle premiere. Because of the mid-engine, the Corvette C8 has two luggage compartments, one at the front and one at the rear. In the back there should be enough space for two golf bags. Alternatively, the Targa roof of the Coupé can be stowed in the rear luggage compartment.

The opening mechanism of the convertible top is electrically operated. It can be folded up behind the driver within 16 seconds. With this body variant, the vehicle mass increases by around 40 kg compared to the Coupé.

landing gear

The vehicle has a double wishbone suspension on both axles with wishbones of different lengths at the top and bottom (short / long arm double wishbone). The wishbones are made of aluminum; the lower ones are cast and the upper ones forged. The car has monotube dampers with a diameter of 46 mm as standard, but they can be adjusted magnetorheologically for an extra charge . The rack and pinion steering supplied by Bosch and ZF is electromechanically servo-assisted .

The vehicle is equipped with a brake-by-wire system. This should allow the driver to adjust the characteristic curve of the brake system. On the front axle, the vehicle has two-piece four-piston brake calipers with brake discs that have a standard diameter of 321 mm, and on the rear axle also four-piston brake calipers, which are made from one piece (monoblock), with 339 mm brake discs.

marketing

The premiere of the coupé was also broadcast live on the Internet . The stream had up to 471 000 viewers. Therefore it was overloaded at times and some viewers could no longer access it.

In the first few days after the vehicle premiere, the online configurator was sometimes used so much that it could not be used by some users for hours. In the first 72 hours of its premiere, Chevrolet had over 750,000 hits for the Corvette's website, up from 2.4 million hits by the end of the month it was launched. Starting from the east and west coast of the United States of America, two dealer tours started in August 2019 to allow customers to view the vehicle. They should take another five months.

A few weeks after the first presentation, GM chief designer Michael Simcoe described the first model year as almost sold out during the Concours d'Elegance of America event. According to the Topspeed website, some people misunderstood the statement that a large part of the production volume would be sold out by the end of production. Chevrolet dealers who want to sell the Corvette need, as is usual for previous model generations, certification from GM. Some retailers are believed to be adding surcharges to the list price due to high demand.

The presentation event for the convertible in front of representatives of the media was also recorded, but not broadcast at the same time. For the public, there were two presentation times for the vehicle premiere on October 3, 2019. A ticket for event attendees cost US $ 57.

The C8 will also be sold as the Holden Corvette in Australia and New Zealand exclusively for the 2020 model year .

Preliminary technical data

Source:

engine

Motor data part 1
model Motor type Motor mounting position Engine code Displacement Engine type Max. power Max. Torque construction time
Stingray Gasoline engine Rear mid-engine LT2 6162 cc V8 369 kW (502 hp) at 6450 min -1 637 Nm at 5150 min -1 from 12/2019
Motor data part 2
model Motor type power construction time Bore × stroke Compression ratio Engine charging Mixture preparation Max. Injection pressure Load point shift
Stingray Gasoline engine 369 kW from 12/2019 103.25 mm x 92 mm 11.5: 1 no Direct petrol injection 150 bar Cylinder deactivation
Motor data part 3
model Motor type power construction time Valve control Valves per cylinder Valve actuation Camshaft adjustment Engine lubrication
Stingray Gasoline engine 369 kW from 12/2019 OHV 2 Pushrod, rocker arm + hydraulic valve lifters Phase adjustment Dry sump

Readings

Environmental pollution and driving performance
model Motor type power construction time Exhaust aftertreatment Top speed Acceleration, 0-100 km / h
Stingray Gasoline engine 369 kW from 12/2019 catalyst 312 km / h approx. 3 s
(1) according to EPA

Powertrain

Elements of the drive train
model Motor type power construction time Drive type, series Drive type, option Gearbox, series Gearbox, option
Stingray Gasoline engine 369 kW from 12/2019 Rear wheel drive - 8-speed dual clutch transmission -

body

Body dimensions and weights
model Motor type power construction time Length × width × height wheelbase Front track Back track Empty weight Tank capacity
Stingray Gasoline engine 369 kW from 12/2019 4630 mm × 1934 mm × 1234 mm 2722 mm 1648 mm 1586 mm 1530 kg (1) k. A.
(1) Basic model

landing gear

Chassis and brakes
model Motor type power construction time Front suspension Rear suspension Brake design all around Front brake disc diameter, standard ..., option Rear brake disc diameter ..., option
Stingray Gasoline engine 369 kW from 12/2019 Double wishbone suspension, monotube shock absorber Disc brakes 321 mm 345 mm 339 mm 350 mm
bikes
model Motor type power construction time Material wheels Rim diameter, front wheels, series ..., rear wheels, standard Front tires, series Rear tires, series
Stingray Gasoline engine 369 kW from 12/2019 aluminum 19 ″ 20 ″ 245 / 35ZR19 305 / 30ZR20

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Corvette's Journey to Mid-engine. In: media.chevrolet.com. General Motors, July 18, 2019, accessed September 20, 2019 .
  2. ↑ Mid-Engine Chevrolet Corvette Reveal to be Livestreamed Globally. In: media.chevrolet.com. General Motors, July 8, 2019, accessed September 20, 2019 .
  3. ↑ Zac Palmer: 2020 Chevy Corvette analysis from the Concours d'Elegance of America. In: autoblog.com. Autoblog, July 29, 2019, accessed September 20, 2019 .
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  5. ↑ Sam McEachern: Corvette Museum Takes Delivery Of Corvette C8 Development Prototype | GM Authority. In: gmauthority.com. September 2, 2019, accessed on September 20, 2019 .
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  8. ^ A b Keith Cornett: Chevrolet to Offer Two Public Reveals of the 2020 Corvette Stingray Convertible at the Kennedy Space Center. In: corvetteblogger.com. September 20, 2019. Retrieved October 9, 2019 (American English).
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  13. ↑ Chris Perkins: Chevy C7 Corvette Production Can't Finish Until UAW Strike Ends. In: roadandtrack.com. October 8, 2019, Retrieved October 9, 2019 (American English).
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  16. ↑ Anthony Alaniz: 2020 Chevy Corvette C8 Interior Explained By Lead Designer In Video. In: motor1.com. August 1, 2019, accessed on September 20, 2019 .
  17. ^ Daniel Golson: 2020 Chevy Corvette C8 - Colors, Trims, Options, and Features. In: caranddriver.com. July 19, 2019, Retrieved September 20, 2019 (American English).
  18. ↑ Sean Szymkowski: Mid-Engine 2020 C8 Corvette Stingray To Be Built In RHD. In: gmauthority.com. GM Authority, July 19, 2019, accessed September 20, 2019 .
  19. ↑ Josh Jacquot, Dave VanderWerp: What You Need to Know about the C8 Corvette's LT2 V-8 engine. In: caranddriver.com. July 19, 2019, Retrieved September 20, 2019 (American English).
  20. ↑ a b c d 2020 Corvette Stingray preliminary specification. In: media.chevrolet.com. General Motors, 2019, accessed September 20, 2019 (provisional technical data).
  21. ↑ a b Robert Moore: Here's What Nobody Is Telling You About The 2020 Chevy C8 Corvette Stingray. In: topspeed.com. July 23, 2019, accessed October 9, 2019 .
  22. ^ Chevrolet Introduces First-Ever Mid-Engine Corvette. In: media.chevrolet.com. General Motors, July 18, 2019, accessed September 20, 2019 .
  23. ^ The Real Reason the New Corvette Isn't Available with a Manual. In: caranddriver.com. July 29, 2019, Retrieved October 9, 2019 (American English).
  24. ↑ David Tracy: Here's A Detailed Look At The 2020 Corvette C8's Impressive Engineering. In: jalopnik.com. July 19, 2019, Retrieved October 9, 2019 (American English).
  25. ↑ Annie White: Old Men, Rejoice: The Mid-Engined Corvette Will Have Space for Golf Clubs. In: caranddriver.com. Car and Driver, July 21, 2019, accessed October 9, 2019 (American English).
  26. ↑ Kirby: The 2020 Chevy C8 Corvette Has Specific Roof Mounts In The Trunk For Safe Storage. In: topspeed.com. July 26, 2019, accessed October 9, 2019 .
  27. ↑ Alexander Stoklosa: 2020 Chevrolet Corvette C8 Convertible Gets a Power Hard Top. In: motortrend.com. Motor Trend, October 3, 2019, accessed October 9, 2019 .
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  29. ↑ a b Chris Paukert: 2020 Corvette C8 breaks records, nearly breaks GM's build configurator - Roadshow. In: cnet.com. August 8, 2019, accessed September 20, 2019 .
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  31. ↑ Kirby: Everyone Is Saying That The 2020 Chevy C8 Corvette Is "Sold Out" But, That Really Isn't The Case. In: topspeed.com. Top Speed, July 30, 2019, accessed September 20, 2019 .
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